GEELONG has all but secured a spot in the VFLW finals after humiliating the Western Bulldogs to the tune of 85 points at Deakin University on Saturday.
The win was the Cats’ biggest since joining the competition in 2017, while their score of 15.9 (99) was also a new high mark for the club.
Coach Andrew Bruce says he was “thrilled” with the performance.
“Our first half was just fantastic,” he told Cats Media.
“I love the ways the girls are bringing into the game what we’re practising at training, and how united they were as a group was just fantastic.”
Geelong welcomed AFLW-listed trio for Amy McDonald, who won the Cats best-and-fairest last month, defender Maddy Keryk and forward Richelle Cranston into the team for the first time this season.
All three impacted the match, with McDonald and Keryk among Geelong’s best, while Cranston kicked three goals.
“It’s really hard to manage at different times with different players coming in,” Bruce admitted.
“But, what we’re loving from the girls coming in is that they buy straight into what we’re doing and try to be really good teammates.
“That really showed today with the way that we played with our football.”
VFLW-listed Annabel Johnston continued her impressive form, earning praise from Bruce for her efforts.
“She’s been on the wing for a couple of weeks and has just got better and better,” he said.
“She was probably the one player who gave us a four-quarter game. She was outstanding.”
Geelong’s fifth-straight win has it sitting third with a 7-2 win-loss record with five rounds to play.
The Cats are four games and 143 per cent clear of seventh-placed North Melbourne ahead of a clash with fourth-placed Essendon at Deakin Uni next Saturday.
Meanwhile, Geelong has held on for a narrow four-point win over Sydney to record its second win of the VFL Men’s season.
AFL-listed forward Josh Jenkins and VFL-listed duo Luke Smith and Jye Chalcraft both kicked two goals for the Cats.
Ruckman Darcy Fort and midfielder Charlie Constable were among Geelong’s best.
Next for the Cats is a meeting with the re-formed Northern Bullants at Marvel Stadium on Thursday night, with the match being shown live on Fox Footy.
Twitter: @tom_king79
VFLW ROUND 9
Geelong 4.1, 9.5, 11.5, 15.9 (99)
Western Bulldogs 0.1, 0.1, 1.1, 2.2 (14)
GOALS, Geelong: G. Clarke 4, R. Cranston 3, S. Williams 2, T. Smith 2, J. Woollett, D. Moloney, A. Johnson, P. Sheppard
Western Bulldogs: N. Morris-Dalton, C. Sargent
BEST, Geelong: A. Johnson, M. Keryk, C. Gunjaca, G. Clarke, A. McDonald, T. Smith
Western Bulldogs: A. Gogos, D. Marshall, S. Ruedin, S. Hartwig, I. Pritchard, G. Lagioia
VFL ROUND 3
Geelong 3.1, 6.3, 6.7, 9.10 (64)
Sydney 2.3, 3.8, 6.10, 8.12 (60)
GOALS, Geelong: J. Jenkins 2, L. Smith 2, J. Chalcraft 2, J. Johnston, J. McLachlan, E. Ratugolea
Sydney: L. McDonald 3, J. Amartey 2, M. Sheather, L. Taylor, D. Cordell
BEST, Geelong: D. Fort, A. Black, O. Tate, J. Thurlow, C. Constable, T. McMullan
Sydney: R. Fox, M. Sheather, W. Gould, L. Taylor, K. Brand, S. Gray
